


Nightmares

by StarcastNight



Category: She-Ra and the Princesses of Power (2018)
Genre: A little angst, Adora Catra and Entrapta mentioned because I love them, Bow POV, F/M, Friends to Lovers, Glimbow just being soft and in love, Glimmer having nightmares and probably post traumatic stress, Missing Scene, a little fluff, all the hugs, yeah more Hurt/Comfort, yeah the excessive handholding is back
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-07-23
Updated: 2020-07-23
Packaged: 2021-03-05 01:41:40
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,723
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/25462636
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/StarcastNight/pseuds/StarcastNight
Summary: More Glimbow Angst/Fluff from when they were on Mara’s Ship!Could be a pre-Wishing You Were Here fic but it doesn’t necessarily have to be.Yeah I just love this show and so here's another short story I guess!
Relationships: Bow/Glimmer (She-Ra), Glimbow - Relationship, Glow - Relationship
Comments: 8
Kudos: 44





	Nightmares

It was late. The twinkling stars in the endless midnight of outer space wouldn’t tell you that. It was how the lights had flickered off and how everyone had retreated to their rooms that told Bow that it was night on Mara’s ship. It could be cozy and peaceful for a moment if you laid back in blankets and watched the stars from the dimness of the ship. That’s what he told himself, but how could he really rest with everything going on both in his head and everyone else’s? 

Bow had just cleaned the only outfit he had and put it on, leaving the ship’s First Ones laundry room. Heading down the hall to his room now, he walked past Glimmer’s room, coming to a slow stop. He looked away from the door, frowning.  _ Maybe we’ll never be friends like we used to be. But I’m not going anywhere, and when you’re ready, I’ll be here.  _ That was yesterday. He missed her. Bow had been so relieved and yet so upset seeing her, and he knew why. He was so focused on finding his friend and now it didn’t even feel right to talk to her… but she really was doing her best and giving him space. So much space. He wanted nothing more than to hug his best friend again. 

_ Okay _ . That’s what he’d said in reply to Glimmer. He didn’t want to stop holding her hands, in fact he didn’t think he ever wanted to stop being right there with her. He realized it the second she let go, when Adora needed them. They gathered around her, promising they’d all rescue Catra, though Bow was left for a moment to grapple with the feeling that his best friend was back. After everything, he’d been reluctantly resigned to accepting that maybe things were changing-- maybe Glimmer would go her own way being queen and maybe that meant there wasn’t the place for him to be her friend anymore. Now he knew that wasn’t true, so what was so hard about all this? 

Bow sighed, touching his shoulder that Adora had hugged ‘goodnight’ earlier. Usually he was the one to initiate hugs and group hugs… had he been so closed off recently? He had been, and it made him feel sick-to-his-stomach sad. Now that they were just waiting on their ship to reach Horde Prime in a few days to find Catra, a plan already intact, there wasn’t much to do but rest; rest and finally confront feelings that had been bottled away from the stress they were facing. 

Tomorrow. Tomorrow he’d remind his friends that they were the best friend squad! And he’d make sure Glimmer knew how he felt-- he’d talk to her. Maybe they’d talk about the cake the ship’s quick meal apparatuses had “made” yesterday. Maybe they could try making a new one themselves with Adora, maybe they’d get frosting all over, and maybe Glimmer would laugh-- “Tomorrow.” He promised aloud, barely audibly, the thought bringing a bittersweet smile to his lips. 

_ A whimper. _ He felt himself freeze, his eyes widening. Another whimper from behind the door broke the silence. Her voice was unmistakable. 

Bow worriedly put in a few knocks at the door before he opened it and peeked his head into Glimmer’s room. 

Inside, Glimmer was partially sitting up in her bed, looking half awake but deeply distraught. Her breathing was rapid. Her cheeks were stained with tears. She was gripping the blanket fiercely. The more he took in the scene, the more his own heart raced. Glimmer, quickly becoming aware of someone’s presence, let out a hoarse “H-hey!?”Coming to full consciousness, her eyes set on Bow with an intensity as he came inside, shutting the door behind him. He slowly sat down by her mattress on the floor and inched over to her side. 

“Glimmer, it’s me. Are you okay?” 

“Yeah, I’m okay. They were just some bad dreams. I’m okay.” Glimmer was fighting against her faltering voice, words running together even as she tried not to cry. 

“You’re having nightmares?” Bow exclaimed softly, leaning a bit closer. He reached to take one of her hands that was clutching the bedsheets. 

“It’s okay, you should go!” She said, looking remorseful for a moment before getting overtaken by more hyperventilating. She moved her hand away and turned away from the side of the bed where he sat.  _ Oh. _ Bow pulled his hand back, nervously thumbing it with his other hand.  _ That hurt. _ Bow was sure he could read that she was trying very hard to have him leave, thinking she still needed to put up a space between them. While she was having nightmares.  _ That really hurt.  _ Bow took a deep breath. 

“Do you need to be alone right now?” 

A pause. 

“No.” 

“Okay, okay,” Bow reassured. “Do you want to talk to me about it?” 

Everything Glimmer said was in between a fit of heaving. Her eyes seemed foggy as she sobbed out “Prime’s ship, I was there…and we’re going back, but he was here and I can’t get out!” 

Her raw feelings were gripping. Bow wanted to do anything he could to help. 

“Glimmer,” He tried her name, saying it with everything he felt. “What do you need right now?” 

“I want to go home!... I want to go home and I want you!” She burst. 

He let out the breath he’d been holding, sounding incredulous. 

“I-I’m not going anywhere!” 

Bow reached and took her hands in his, this time Glimmer held their clasped hands close to her. He gently pulled her towards him until he could feel her wet face sniffling into his shoulder. Slowly, he let go of her hands to wrap his arms around her instead. 

“You’ve got me, and I’ve got you, and we’re safe here.” He cooed. 

Her eyes appeared for a brief second, looking up from where she clung tightly. They watered as she glanced around the room from where they sat. 

“Do you want to come to my room?” Bow whispered. 

Bow had seen panic attacks before, he’d even had them. He remembered being younger when one day George recalled something painful from a Horde attack before Bow was born, and how Lance was able to help by listening and bringing him away from that scary environment where the memory had occurred so he could feel safe again. 

Glimmer leaned back from their embrace and nodded, her eyes downcast, looking ashamed. He squeezed her palm reassuringly, bringing them onto their feet and then leading the way to his room, Glimmer following along in a small train where their hands met. The silvery floor echoed the smallest sounds as they walked. He looked over his shoulder once before opening the door to his room. Glimmer was still staring at the floor, though she was breathing evenly now. 

Bringing them over to the quaint grey mattress on the floor, Bow sat down with Glimmer. 

“I’m sorry Bow, I’m sorry.” Glimmer mumbled, rubbing her face with a gloved hand. “Entrapta was telling me we were only a day and a half from the base ship. I’m so tired.” 

“You don’t have to be sorry.” Bow began. “I’m sorry, I can’t believe I didn’t know how you were feeling...” As he spoke, he drew a blanket around them. 

“We just… we have to save Catra.” Glimmer said quietly with resolve. 

“And we will. Entrapta and I will be with you the whole way. But, right now, why don’t you lie down and try to get some sleep again?” Bow replied, his eyes promising and hopeful. 

The archer laid down. The blanket was still around his childhood friend’s shoulders as she looked at him questioningly and longingly. He smiled back warmly and held out his hand. Glimmer took it and sunk down comfortably against him. 

“I don’t really want to.” She admitted, taking a deep, shaky breath. 

“Okay, what if we imagine something instead?” He offered. 

“Okay... What are we imagining?” Glimmer mumbled. 

“I’m imagining there’s a girl with pink hair, and she’s really sparkly, and she’s smiling because she’s...uh... making a cake.” 

When he met Glimmer’s eyes, her brow was raised as if to say ‘pft, oh really?’ though she tiredly smiled at the notion as well. She sniffed and added: 

“Is there also a boy there with black hair, a crop top, and a really big heart on his shirt?” 

“Sure, why not? ...And then they spend all day making the cake, and you got frosting on your nose!” He whispered.

“Hey!” She whispered back, looking for words. “It’s um…. yummy?” 

“What’s it for?” Glimmer wondered aloud. 

“It’s for a... perfect day.” 

“A perfect day.” She murmured, barely audibly. 

As they had been talking, Bow had held Glimmer’s hand against his heart. It was something he began doing long ago, ever since Glimmer had goofily done the same thing once, in an effort to make him feel better when they were both small and he was sad over something. It had made him feel so cared about then, and he wished it could communicate everything he wanted to say to Glimmer right now. 

“I love you.” He whispered sadly. He’d meant it like every time before, but it’d been so long since he’d said it. 

Bow noticed that Glimmer seemed to have drifted off to sleep, as her hands loosened and her eyes brows drooped down restfully. He’d missed this too. He gazed at his best friend and wished away any nightmares. Glimmer. She was so… brave.  _ Brave. Passionate. Beautiful. _ Beautiful? Well yeah, of course Glimmer was beautiful, she’d always been beautiful. Bow frowned as he looked at the perfect curve of her hand where it fell on his chest, the way her hair fell over her forehead, her soft, round cheeks that were streaked with dried tears. He wanted to kiss them away. Blushing at this thought, he let his head fall back. Of course he felt that way, Glimmer was the closest person to him, he didn’t think he could love her more if he tried. Maybe that was part of why it had all been so intense. It had been on his mind before in the brief moments that held him, but it hit him now with full force.  _ I’m in love with Glimmer.  _

**Author's Note:**

> A few people have done this prompt so I wanted to take a crack at it too-- Thank you for reading!


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